Textile machinery



1943- c. 1.. HUFFMAN TEXTILE MACHINERY 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

Filed Jan. 2, 1943 c. 1.. HUFFMAN 2,333,377

TEXT ILE MACHINERY Nov. 2, 1943.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1945 Cp yLpai'erJigflman Patented Nov. 2, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT Coy Lester Huffman, Greenville, S.- 0.

Application January 2, 1943, SerialNo. 471,165

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in elements used in textile machinery such, for instance, as wooden picker sticks, lug sticks, lug straps, check and pick sticks, shuttle binders,:top cleaner boards for spinning frames and th like.

In the past it has been the practice to reinforce these elements by passing rivets, bolts, and the like, through the same. However, these-fastening elements have been found'to-be unsatisfactory, due primarily to the fact that the wooden parts, which are kiln or air-dried, contract or shrink to a certain extent and this causes-the metal rivets and bolts, even though tight when first placed in the wood, to become loose,-due to the contraction. Since there is usually considerable pressure applied to these wooden elements, it is not uncommon for them to split soonafter they are installed. Substantial expenseis, therefore, incurred in replacing split or broken parts.

The present invention is designed to eliminate this objectionable feature and this is accomplished by providing dowel pins to take the place of the rivets and bolts. These pins are preferably inserted into the wooden elements transversely and diagonally thereof. When dowel pins are inserted in a picker stick in this manner, they will hold against any pressure arising from the iron stud upon which the stick works, and thereby prevent splitting of the stick. This is also-true of the other wooden elements, such as lug sticks, shuttle binders, and the like. Thisgreatly lengthens the life of these elements, and since the life of a picker stick will possibly be eighteen months, if splitting is prevented, it will be apparent that the present invention materially reducesthe cost of maintenance of a textile plant. In fact, it has been found from actual experienc that the present invention will reduce possibly asmuch as fiftypercent of the number of wooden elements used.

The use of dowel pins, furthermore, eliminates the objectionable feature of catching lint on the metal rivets or heads of the bolts, which .ordinarily is the cause of further trouble. .Also, the employment of wooden dowel pins hasthe advantage of economy at this particular time, since it is increasingly-diflicult to secure bolts, rivets, and other metal fastening elements.

With the foregoing and other objects-in view, the invention will now be more fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a face View of a picker stick provided with diagonally arranged dowels about-the pivotal holethereof.

Figure 2 is a similarview of-v an old style picker stick equipped with a rivet.

Figure 3 is an enlargedfragmental sectionon the line of the dowels of Figure 1'.

Figure 4 is an enlarged .edge .view ..of that portion of. the picker stick shown.-inlEigure3l Figure 5 isv aface-view ofa lug. stickprovi'ded with dowels similarlyarranged as in Figure 1.

Figure 6 isa similar vview of an .oldsty'lelug stick.

Figure 7 is a side view ofa.shuttle .binderwith a dowel arranged diagonallylbetweenithepivotal hole and the adjacentend-thereof.

Figure 8 is-aplan view thereo'f,.and

:FigureQ. is a-side -view.o'fian oldstyle ofv shuttle binder.

Referring to the .drawings, .and particularly Figures lto 4, there is .disclosed an embodiment in which the .presentiinvention is-applied to a picker .stick. .In this connection, 'Figure '2 Hiscloses the old prior art type of picker stick if!) in which .the usual bolt hole H is provided ad- J'acent .one end of the .stick-an'd about whi'chthe stick pivots. Ordinarily, .pressure. is applied tothe stick at this point and in the .past' it. has :been the usual practice to insert either bolts orrlvets l2 through opposite "longitudinal edges of the stick and transversely tothe'bolt'hole' f l. While these sticks are usually kilned' "or .airedri'e'd, nevertheless it has been ffoundthat in spite of an precautions, there is always a certain amount of.

contraction. When metal rivets are used such as the rivet i2, these usually'become loos :even though they are tightly secured tothe stickwhen firstplaced in the wood. Figure? illustratesthe rivet after the stick has shrunk or contractedft'o a certain eXtent,.so as toileave aspace l3'between the edge !4 of the stick andthe head I'l'5'0'f'the rivet. Under. these conditions {the pre'ssure'which isapplied to the stick at the pivotpointl [very quickly effects a splitting ofthe stickbetweenthe bolt hole ii andthe adjacent end oft'he'stick.

Referringto Figure 6, there is disclosed aprior 'form oflug stick [6 which hasisplit'at thepoirit ll due to the pressureapplied at the pivot point I 8. This stick it, similar'to' the'pickerstickflll, has shrunk or contra'ctedafter itherivet 1'9 has been applied theretoyandithasbeen ascertained from actual practice that the splitting"o'ccurstso'on after the contraction of the 'sti'cka nel*thelonsen ing of the bolt due to said contraction;

Ordinarily, a picker .stick'and lug stickwill last substantially eighteen ,months'in "constant use'if the stick does not split -or fracture. "The present invention, therefore, is designetl"to"elimi-.

nate this objectionable feature and to provide means which will prevent the splitting of the sticks as well as other wooden elements used in the textile industry. This is accomplished by providing the picker stick with a pair of dowelreceiving holes 2| and 2| (see Fig. 3), each of which passes transversely through the picker stick intermediate the side faces 22 and 23 thereof. Furthermore, these dowel holes are positioned on opposite sides of the bolt hole 24 and extend diagonally through the stick intermediate the side faces thereof. While these holes are shown as extending at substantially an angle of 45, it is to be understood that the angle may vary as desired and according to the width of the picker stick or other element which is being reinforced.

A pair of dowels 25 and 26 are then inserted within the holes 2| and M, respectively. While these pins may be formed of any desired material, such as wood, metal, plastic, or the like, I prei'er to use hickory pins which are glued'into the holes. Any pressure arising from the iron stud or pivot upon which the picker stick works, will be exerted against these pins. However, the pins being inserted diagonally and transversely of the picker stickwill resist any effort of the stick to split and will, therefore, prolong and greatly increase the life of the stick over the prior type of picker stick wherein rivets orbolts are used as reinforcing means.

While the preferred embodiment discloses a pair of dowels, it is to be understood that if desired a single dowel'pin may be utilized and in this connection it is preferable that the pinbe inserted in a hole positioned between bolt hole 24 and the adjacent end of the stick, such, for instance, as the dowel pin 26. It is to be further understood that a plurality or more than two dowel pins may be utilized to reinforce the picker stick.

Referring to Figure 5, a type'of reinforcing .means similar to that illustrated in Figures'l, 3,

and 4, is applied to the lug stick l6. In this connection, dowel holes 21 and 28 are formed in the lug stick and these holes pass diagonally therethrough intermediate the side faces of the stick and upon opposite sides of the bolt hole 18. Dowels 29 and30, similar to the dowels 25 and 26, are glued into the holes 21 and 28 and resist any pressure exerted at the pivot l8 which would tend to split the lug stick at this point, such as illustrated in Figure 6.

. In addition to the picker and lug sticks illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, there is also disclosed reinforcing means for a shuttle binder 3|, In this connection, the bolt hole 32 upon which the binder pivots, extends transversely through one 'of the reduced end'portions 33 of the binder. In this arrangement, only one dowel pin receiving hole 34 is disclosed and this also passes diagonally through the reduced nd 33 of the shuttle binder and also transversely of the bolt hole. A dowel pin 35 is secured in the hole 34 and it will be observed that the angle at which this is inserted is somewhat less than the angle at which the dowel pins of the picker and lug sticks are inserted. This is due primarily to the reduced thickness of the, wood at this point. However, I have ascertained that when a dowel pin is inserted at such an angle, all pressure exerted at this point, which would tend to split the binder, is resisted by the pin because of the fact that it is inserted diagonally and transversely, of the binder.

In Figure 9, there is disclosed the old type of binder wherein a screw 36 is used to reinforce the binder at the edge adjacent th pivot hole 31.

.Similarly to the rivet reinforced picker and lug sticks shown in Figures 2 and 6, the pressure exerted at this point is suflicient to split the end of the binder notwithstanding the use of screws or like elements 36. However, when one or more dowels are inserted transversely and diagonally of the wooden element to which it is applied, this is suflicient to prevent splitting and to insure repeated use of the element.

It is to be understood that the invention is not .limited to the details of construction shown in the drawings, and that the phraseology employed in the specification is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

I claim:

1. A wooden picker stick for looms having a bolt-receiving hole passing transversely therethrough, said picker stick having a dowel pinreceiving hole passing diagonally therethrough adjacent to and transversely of the bolt, hole, and a dowel pin located in said dowel hole and constituting a reinforcing element to prevent splitting of the picker stick. 7 v

2. A wooden picker stick .for looms having a bolt-receiving hole passing transversely therethrough, said picker stick having a pair of dowelreceiving holes passing diagonally therethrough upon opposite sides of and transversely of the bolt hole, and dowel pins located in said'dowel holes and constituting reinforcing elements to prevent splitting of the picker stick.

3. A wooden picker stick for looms having a bolt-receiving hole passing through and transversely of the side faces of the picker stick and constituting a pivot upon which the picker stick is adapted to fulcrum, said picker stick having a dowel pin-receiving hole passing diagonally therethrough intermediate the side faces of they picker stick and'adjacent the bolt hole, and a dowel pin located in said dowel hole and constituting a reinforcing element to prevent splitting of the picker stick in the vicinity of the bolt hole.

4. A wooden picker stick for looms having a bolt-receiving hole passing through andtransversely of the side faces of the picker stick and constituting a pivot upon which the picker stick is adapted to fulcrum, said picker stick'havinga pair of dowel-receiving holes passing diagonally therethrough intermediate the side faces of the picker stick and located upon opposite sides of the bolt "hole, and dowel pins located in said dowel holes and constituting reinforcing elements to prevent splitting of the picker stick in the vicinity of the bolt hole. T t

5. A wooden picker stick for looms having a bolt-receiving hole passing through and transversely of the side faces of the picker stick and constituting a pivot upon which the picker stick is adapted to fulcrum, said picker stick having a pair of dowel-receiving holes passing diagonally therethrough intermediate the side faces of the picker stick and located upon opposite sides of the bolt hole, and dowelpins located in said-dowel holes and constituting reinforcing elements to prevent splitting of the picker stick in the vicinity of the bolt hole, said dowel pins being arranged at such an angle to the longitudinal edges of the picker stick that opposite ends of the pins over.- lap eachother and substantially overlie the bolt hole. T I i 6. A wooden element for use in textile ma-i chinery having a hole passing transversely there! through and constituting a pivot upon which the element is adapted to fulcrum, said element having a dowel pin-receiving hole passing diagonally therethrough adjacent to and transversely of the bolt hole, and a. dowel pin located in said dowel hole and constituting a reinforcing means to prevent splitting of said element.

7. A wooden lug stick for looms having a boltreceiving hole passing transversely therethrough adjacent one end of the lug stick, said lug stick 1 having a dowel pin-receiving hole passing diagonally therethrough transversely of the bolt hole and positioned between the bolt hole and the adjacent end of the stick, and a dowel pin 

